Eaton not thrilled with MLB's ruling

GLENDALE, Ariz. - White Sox leadoff man Adam Eaton always seems to be on the move, whether it's sprinting around the bases or covering ground in center field.

You would think Eaton would want the game to go equally fast, especially after last year's average time was three hours and two minutes.

You would be wrong.

"I'm not a big fan of it," Eaton said. "We're representatives, (catcher Tyler) Flowers and I, and we helped out with the decision making. But in the end it's the head honchos and our players that are a little higher up that make the decision. I'm an old-school baseball player.

"There's a lot of thinking going on in the game. I get you try to keep the fan base (happy), I understand that, but the fan base understands this is a thinking man's game and when a pitcher steps on the rubber there's a lot going on. There's thinking in the dugout, there's thinking, manager, first-base coach, third-base coach, and that's the beauty of the game. Why speed that up? It's beyond me but I just work here."

In an attempt to shorten the length of games this season, baseball wants hitters to keep at least one foot in the batter's box at all times and managers have to stay in the dugout during replay challenges.

Holding pattern:

Jeff Samardzija is eligible for free agency at the end of the season, but the White Sox are still hoping to lock up the starting pitcher to a contract extension at some point this year.

Just not now.

"The hope and desire is to make this a long-term relationship at some point," general manager Rick Hahn said. "In terms of any progress or reports on that, we're not going to discuss that publicly. We're going to keep all that internally as we have with other high-profile free agents, many of whom we've been able to work things out with behind the scenes."

Comeback trail:

Relief pitcher Jesse Crain hopes he feels good enough to break camp with the Sox, but shoulder and biceps injuries have kept him off the mound since June 2013.

If Crain has to join the White Sox during the season, that is fine.

"So far, it has been a good progression," said Crain, who signed a minor-league deal on Jan. 22. "I started throwing in January and I've been able to work my way through, so it has been about six weeks. I'm on the mound and now it's getting stronger on the mound. Really, every time I go out there I feel like I'm getting stronger."